How Do I Love Thee?
by CupcakeGal
Summary: A rock. Her present was a rock. This wasn't exactly helping her get over her dislike of everything Valentine. Snow, Charming and that day of the year.


**How Do I Love Thee?**

_Summary: A rock. Her present was a rock. This wasn't exactly helping her get over her dislike of everything Valentine. Snow, Charming and that day of the year._

_A/N: This is sap…100 percent unadulterated sap in honour of Valentine's Day. I apologise in advance for any cavities the following might cause…drop me a review so I know if I have to pay off any doctor's bills ;)_

_The title and one line of this fic comes from Sonnet No. 43 of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's 'Sonnets from the Portuguese'. I love her work…the way she writes about her love for her husband reminds me so much of Snow and Charming. _

_Disclaimer: OUAT and all its characters belong to ABC…all I own is the giant batch of red velvet cupcakes I just baked for Valentine's Day._

* * *

The glowing numbers of the digital clock showed 8:15am when Snow blearily opened her eyes after a restless night's sleep. Even with her husband's comforting presence wrapped around her, she'd found peaceful slumber elusive…and it was all thanks to one thing.

Today was Valentine's Day.

Her dread of this day was entirely irrational. She had a loving husband which was more than a lot of people could say. But every memory she had of this day involved aching loneliness or bitter heartbreak and not even the fact that this year she had someone to celebrate with could erase the distaste those remembrances brought.

Her one discussion on the topic with Charming had ended with her assertion that it was just another day. Though she had to admit, lying here in their bed alone while he was off at work was making her regret not asking him to stay with her. After all, she knew Emma would have given him the day off if they'd asked.

She pulled in a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. It was too late now. Flinging her arm out with the intention of pulling his pillow closer so she could cuddle against it, her hand stopped abruptly when it came into contact with something cold, hard and smooth. Rolling over, she blinked the last vestiges of sleep from her eyes to see a rock sitting innocuously on her husband's pillow, holding down a folded piece of paper.

A rock. She knew she'd asked him not to give her any gifts but if he hadn't listened to her and decided otherwise…well, a rock wasn't exactly on the top of her wishlist.

Picking it up she realized it was actually a paperweight, decorated with swirling lines of gold. That only made her feel marginally better. Knowing she wouldn't get any answers by just lying here and staring at it, she unfolded the accompanying note…and promptly lost herself in her Charming's words.

_Dearest Snow,_

_I know you asked me to treat this day as any other, but I could not let it pass without acknowledgment. Though I know the people who celebrated this day last year were not truly you and I, I still feel the need to make up for the heartache that version of me caused. To that end, I have left six presents scattered throughout the apartment, each one relating to an important step in our lives together._

_I know you must've been puzzled by this first one. It was rather hard to find a romantic equivalent to the rock which was so instrumental in our first meeting so this paperweight will have to make do. _

_I count that day as one of the most significant in my life. I had resigned myself to living a lie, trapped in a life and a marriage I did not want…then I met you. The first time I saw those bright emerald eyes staring back up at me full of defiance and fire, I felt as if my entire world tilted off-kilter…or maybe that was due to the rock you scarred me with. _

_Either way, I knew in that moment you were important. I did not quite know how yet, only that despite your thieving tendencies I did not want to let your beautiful face fade from my sight. The promise I made that day has always and will forever ring true…I will find you, no matter what obstacles are thrown in my path. _

_Love_

_Your Charming_

_P.S. If you wish to find them in order, just follow your morning routine…_

Snow clutched the paper to her chest and allowed herself a moment to do nothing more than grin sappily and let her inner girl squeal with delight. Every time she thinks it is impossible to love her husband any more than she already does…he proves her wrong in the most heartfelt of ways. He'd not taken her dismissal of the day at face value and instead had put effort into reminding her of the reasons for it in the first place…to celebrate true love, something they had in spades. Her reluctance about the day ahead swept aside in the face of Charming's unconditional love, she eagerly arose from the bed and padded across to the bathroom.

Eyes scanning for anything out of place, they landed on a small glass bottle sitting on the vanity. It was filled to the brim with a sparkling dark-coloured substance which upon a closer inspection turned out to be shimmery bath salts. Though the tub she had was small, her love for long soaks was well-known amongst their household and she knew she would put the gift to good use. However, she wondered how this tied into their life. Examining it, a memory sparked in her brain. The vial, it almost looked like…

Grinning, she picked up the folded paper on the vanity to confirm her suspicions.

_Dearest Snow,_

_Watching you stand firmly on that bridge, using a weapon you held dear without any hesitation as to the consequence of wasting it on saving my life…that was the moment my heart became truly yours. Others may say that the small amount of time we had spent together up to that point was not enough to fall in love, but I think I did with every glance of your eyes and word from your lips._

_The fact you saved my life when you could have easily abandoned me merely confirmed what I already knew. You were honest, fierce, beautiful and brave…and so many more things it would take me all of the paper in the world to describe them. _

_The only thing I would wish to change about that moment? I wish I had been brave enough to tell you my real name. I was elated you chose to call me a name of your own choosing because hearing the one I had been forced to carry from your lips sounded wrong. As Charming, I could be myself…with you, I can be myself. I don't know if I've ever thanked you for accepting all of me…but I am more grateful than words can ever express._

_Love_

_Your Charming_

Suspicions confirmed, Snow briefly debated the merits of putting her gift to use right now versus the quicker method of taking a shower. Eventually, her impulsive curiousity won out and she decided the less time she spent in the bathroom, the better. Of course, this didn't preclude her from getting lost in a rather vivid daydream of exactly what she would do to thank her husband the next time she saw him. Needless to say, the shower took a little longer than expected. When she eventually emerged from the steam-filled bathroom, energized and relaxed in equal measure, she was still a little lost in her fantasy and did not notice her next present until it almost fell on her bare feet as she opened the closet.

A brand new bow, quiver and arrows lay in slight disarray upon the floorboards, the quality of them obvious in the fine woodwork, shiny leather and perfect feathers. Deciding it was a present best inspected when she was actually dressed, she hastily pulled on some clothes then brought the set to the bed for a closer look. It was most definitely hand-made and reminded her so much of the bow and arrows Charming had gifted her not long after their engagement. Testing the elasticity of the bow briefly, she smiled when it felt perfect in her hands. It may not have been a typical Valentine's Day present, but it was so her…so them.

_Dearest Snow,_

_Henry asked me once how I knew what I felt for you was true love. I did not know quite how to answer because it is something I have just always known. Even when it seemed true love's kiss had not worked to break the spell which rid you all of memory of me, not once did I think it was because the love we had wasn't true. There was no flicker of doubt, no momentary weakness…I knew the fault lay elsewhere. _

_Which is why I had no qualms in taking an arrow to prove that to you. I would take a hundred arrows if it meant it would spare you from danger, darkness or death. I bear that scar gladly for it is a daily reminder of the lengths I will go to ensure your happiness. _

_And this gift also represents the fact that you would do the same for me in return. That when our first true kiss was cut painfully short by the knights' interruption, you came after me without a second thought to your own safety. We fight not just together, but for each other and though I may at times worry, I would not have it any other way. _

_Love_

_Your Charming_

Feeling like she was floating closer to cloud nine with every word Charming had painstakingly written, her initial dread of the day seemed like a far off-memory.

Breakfast came next and with it, a tiny jewelry box on the top shelf of the fridge. Nestled inside, a pair of silver and peridot earrings which looked extremely similar to the ring which had never once left her hands since the minute it had been placed on her finger.

_Dearest Snow,_

_I could live a thousand years and never forget one moment of the day I asked you to be mine. From the despairing depths my heart plummeted to when I found you encased in glass, to the soaring joy of seeing my mother's ring finally take its rightful place on your finger, every emotion has been seared permanently into my memory. _

_Sometimes I find myself staring at you and wondering what good deed I must've accomplished to be granted your presence in my life. I would have been content to have you merely close to me for the rest of our days, but I must admit the selfish part of me is glad you were willing to wear an outside sign of your ownership of my heart._

_I was never happier than the day I called call you my betrothed…until the days came when I could call you wife and mother._

_Love_

_Your Charming_

She hadn't even had a chance to eat her breakfast when she found the next gift hidden in the cutlery drawer in between the forks and spoons. A small silver chalice which served as a candleholder, the metal etched with swirling designs of wildflowers and vines.

_Dearest Snow,_

_Though I know both of our weddings were not quite perfect, marred as they were by unexpected interruptions and the loss of loved ones, I would not change a thing._

_The first I will always remember as ours and ours alone. It is the kind of wedding I thought I would always have when I was nothing more than a mere shepherd…quiet, small and simple. The smile you bestowed upon me as we drank from that chalice was beyond anything I had witnessed before. Every single drop of happiness and love you felt was present in the upturn of your ruby lips and that, more than anything, stole my breath away. _

_As for our second, I remember that for the pleasure I felt in announcing to the world that I pledged myself to you above all others…and to hear that pledge reciprocated in turn. It did not hurt that you have never looked more radiant than you did while wearing that dress, no matter how complicated it was for me to remove it later…_

_Speaking of later, I also would not change a thing about our honeymoons…not the single night we spent making the best use that we could of the tiny bed in the corner of the cabin, nor the slight detour we took on our second due to your sneakiness. Every moment with you is one that I cherish and that will never change._

_Love_

_Your Charming_

Anxious to find her husband and kiss him senseless more than she usually would, she choked down her breakfast with a speed only Henry could've matched and even left the dirty dishes in the sink despite her daily reminders to the rest of her family not to do the same thing. So focused was she, Snow completely forgot she was missing one present until a small picture frame fell out of her coat pocket as she was tugging it on.

Luckily, she managed to catch it before it could hit the ground and was immediately glad she had moments later when she realized what the frame contained. It was a picture of Emma…not as she was now, but as a toddler. Bright blonde curls and a toothy smile beamed out at her from behind the glass and Snow felt her knees go momentarily weak at this tiny insight into her daughter's childhood. Placing the frame carefully on the table so there was no chance she could drop it, she fumbled in the coat pocket for the accompanying letter.

_Dearest Snow,_

_The day you told me I was going to be a father…I was so many things. Elated, scared, hopeful, loved. You gave me a gift above all others…the gift of family. It is why I know these small tokens I have given you today can never measure up the magnitude of everything you have provided me through the years, but I hope they have evoked some joy in your heart._

_Our daughter helped me with this one as I am sure you have figured out. I know this is not exactly the life we imagined but one thing is as true now as it was the day I realized it…you have been, are and will be the most amazing mother in all of the realms. _

_I love you Snow…every part of you with a depth and breadth and height of feeling no one can match. And I will spend every day for the rest of our lives making sure you never doubt that fact…even on days like today when you ask me not to._

_Happy Valentine's Day_

_Love_

_Your Charming_

Caught up as she was in the emotions the whole morning had stirred up, she didn't even realize that the front door had opened to reveal Charming leaning patiently against the door frame until she felt his warm arms slip around her waist. Startled, she turned around in the embrace to stare unblinkingly into his loving yet slightly wary eyes…until she couldn't do anything else but throw her arms around his neck and pull him down into a passionate kiss.

She would never tire of this…never tire of the how soft his lips felt against hers or the warmth of his tongue. Of the way he would always cradle the side of her face in his deceptively gentle palm or pull her closer by the hand which rested firmly on the curve of her lower back. Of the steady beat of his heart pounding against her chest or the small moan of contentment from deep in his throat as he lost himself in the same heady pleasure which made her blood boil and her body tingle.

She would never tire of him.

She spent the rest of the day confirming just how much she would never tire…and just how much his thoughtful gifts and letters had reignited her belief in the feast of St Valentine.


End file.
